The White House on Thursday downplayed plans for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to convene top military leaders next week amid speculation about the purpose for the meeting.

“It’s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the secretary of War and then to the president of the United States are coming to speak with the secretary of War,” Vice President Vance said in the Oval Office. “It’s actually not unusual at all and I think it’s odd that you’ve made it into such a big story.”

President Trump suggested the generals would be “touring equipment sites” and “talking about the newest weapons.”

“I think it’s great when generals and top people want to come to the United States to be with our now-secretary of War,” Trump said.

The comments came from the Oval Office, just after Trump signed an executive order related to advancing a deal for U.S. and other investors to take over the TikTok social media app.

The Washington Post first reported that Hegseth earlier this week ordered hundreds of the U.S. military’s generals and admirals to gather on short notice and without a stated reason. The meeting is expected to take place on Tuesday at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va., according to the Post.

More than a dozen people familiar with the matter told the Post that the directive was sent to virtually all of the military’s top commanders worldwide all senior officers with the rank of brigadier general or above, their Navy equivalent and their top enlisted advisers more than 800 generals or admirals.

“The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Hill, offering no additional details.